1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a paper product impregnated with chemical material to accomplish a variety of industrial and household tasks.
2. Description of the Related Art
Paper is typically formed from a mesh of fine fibers, generally of vegetable origin. Currently, wood pulp is the most common source for paper. However, other fibrous material such as cotton, flax, kenaf, hemp, or straw have been used in paper manufacture. Most commonly paper is produced in the form of thin sheets. However paper can also be manufactured in other physical forms such as compressed pellets.
Paper products currently enjoy widespread use in almost every field of human endeavor. Paper is used as sterile packaging for surgical instruments, and as a cheap, disposable covering for surfaces in treatment and operating rooms. In the food service industry, paper is universally utilized to store both solid and liquid foods, as well as to serve those foods to the consumer. Paper is also emerging as a major component in absorbent material for disposal of wastes from pets and other sources, for example in the material known as cat litter.
Given the wide uses for paper products, there is a need in the art for a paper product which receives, retains, and releases useful chemical species.
Unfortunately, paper provides a suitable environment for the growth of microorganisms. The ability of paper to support the growth of bacteria, molds, or fungi is attributable to the fact that paper is itself is derived from living tissue and contains residual organic material that can provide sustenance for microorganisms.
The unwanted growth of microorganisms poses a health hazard for many of the potential applications for paper products For example, maintaining a sterile environment during the treatment of illness and injury has proven to dramatically reduce the possibility of infection. In the area of food services, maintaining an micro-organism free environment prolongs the viability of foodstuffs, and enhances the effect of such processes as pasteurization. In waste disposal applications, reduction in the growth of microorganisms can cut down on noxious odors and the danger of infection to waste-handlers.
Therefore, there is also a need in the art for a paper product which can inhibit the growth of microorganisms, and which is cheap and easy to manufacture.